Sparta High School hosting ninth annual 'Best Prom Ever'

Sparta freshman Kayle Bigelow is all smiles as she steams the wrinkles out of a donated formal dress before it is ready to be given out.
By Jeffrey Cunningham|Mlive.com

For the last nine years, Sparta High School teacher Renne Wyman and volunteers have organized "The Best Prom Ever" for students and adults with disabilities.The event started as a small dinner dance held at a local church for students from the area. There were about 50 at the first dance. Last year more than 400 came to the formal dance.

There will be another Best Prom Ever on March 1 and the evening will be free for all to
attend.

The decision to host another one was a difficult one for Wyman.

Wyman has taught the cognitively impaired at Sparta High School for more than 15 years. In the beginning, she saw the dance as a way to have her students learn how to organize and then host the dance at a local church. From that beginning in 2005, the dance is now a year-long project for her classes who do as much as they can -- without school funding -- to make the dance happen. "After the first couple of dances, we started getting calls from other schools and group homes wanting to know if their students would be welcome to attend," she said. Many of those who called to ask had the same story -- their students had never been to a formal dance and could they please come," Wyman said.

After the 2013 dance, Wyman said she was sure it would be the last. "It just took everything I had to get through the evening," she said. "It was still fun, but I just couldn't see doing it again.

Last year when more than 400 attended the formal dinner dance held at English Hills.

She said even with all of the help she has gotten with the dance, she was just plain tired after the event. "We raised more than $10,000 for last year's dance so every one could come for free," Wyman said. "We had limo rides, a professional photographer to take pictures, a great catered dinner, live dinner music, a DJ for dancing, and everyone -- both attendees and volunteers -- had a great time. But I was so exhausted afterwards that I thought it was the last one I could do even with all of the help we had."

Freshman Taylor Vogg hangs up a dress for the Best Prom Ever.
By Jeffrey Cunningham|Mlive.com

The problem was attendees who had come to the dance from Alto, Holland, Grant, Sparta, and almost every other community in the Grand Rapids area started calling last fall to find out the date of this year's "Best Prom Ever" so they could get it on their calendar. "For many of the high school kids and other disabled young adults who live in group homes around the area, this is the only formal dance they will ever attend," Wyman said.

First the calls started trickling in and then in a flood last fall and on into the winter.

Even this week a mother of a young lady with Down syndrome who had heard of the dance called Wyman to ask if the dinner, dance, and everything else was free. "Once I told her 'yes it was,' the mom then asked if the kids were properly chaperoned for the evening." Turns out the mom making the call hadn't had a night off since her daughter was born. "She asked if she and her husband would have time to go on a date that night themselves while the daughter attended the prom," Wyman said. "That's why we do this."

Mark Kasmer, Sparta assistant superintendent of schools, is a professional musician in addition to his school gig. Kasmer played piano during the dinner last year. The experience changed him, he said. "Just the look on the faces of those in attendance was enough to know that this was an important event and I was glad just to be a small part of it," he said.

This year the dinner dance has been moved to Sparta High School and instead of being held in late April as it has been in the past, it will be held on March 1. Wyman said the date worked best for the school and she needed a venue that was both handicapped-accessible and had plenty of indoor space for all who attended.

Several groups have donated formal dresses so all of the girls who attend can come in formal wear at no cost, but there is always need for more. Other groups have donated dress clothes for the boys.

More than a hundred volunteers from across the region have already signed up to work the event; a caterer has been lined up; volunteers have committed to make more than 400 cupcakes; and hairstylists and manicurists are at the ready to provide their services free. But there are still a ton of tasks that need to be done and time is running out, Wyman said.

"We had sparkling grape juice for a toast at the end of the evening and we still need to get that donated," she said. Last year they also had a couple of limos at the prom who took kids on short limo rides. "We were only able to take about 50 of the 350 who wanted to go because we ran out of time and only had a couple of limos," she said. "Kids have asked it there are going to be limos again this year, but so far we only have one lined up."

Fundraising to pay for the event is still ongoing. They have raised about $6,000 of the total cost of $8,000. "I'm not worried; like everything else associated with this prom, somehow--some way -- the need gets met," Wyman said.

Those interested in attending, volunteering, or donating money are being asked to call Wyman at Sparta High School at 616-887-8213, ext. 1127